Last Night (I Didn't Get to Sleep at All) - Fifth Dimension (1972) 5/4/21

Award-Winning composer Tony McCauley wrote dozens of hit songs during his career, including "Build Me Up, Buttercup" for the Foundations, "Don't Give Up on Us" for David Soul, and "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" for Edison Lighthouse.

Today , however, we're highlighting what was arguably his biggest hit...and a "Great Song of the '70s."

Tony had flown from London to Japan for the World Popular Song Festival of 1972, and the time zone differential caused him to be wide awake in the middle of the night.

He decided that since he was "up,", he might as well do something useful and write a song. After he had written the music, he cleverly titled it "Last Night (I Didn't Get to Sleep at All)."

Tony didn't write the lyrics, however, until he got back to London and was caught in a traffic jam. While he was stuck in gridlock, the words just came to him, and the song was finished in short order.

Tony was a fan of The Carpenters and thought they would be a good choice to record the song. He sent them a demo, and a week or so later, he got a call in the middle of the night. (Back in London, he was sleeping at night again, but The Carpenters were in California and...well...oops!)

Anyway, in one of the most ironic phone calls in music history, Richard said he loved the song, but the lyrics mentioned a sleeping pill, and since The Carpenters didn't do drugs, could Tony change those two words to something else? (This from a man who later took so many drugs he ended up in rehab.)

Tony thought about it, but in the end, decided the song didn't need any changes. So he picked up the phone and called the Fifth Dimension, who loved it--as originally written. They called in the legendary "Wrecking Crew" to back them up, and recorded it for their album "Individually...and Collectively."

When it was released as a single later in 1972, the song became a "Triple Charter:" #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart, #8 on the Hot 100, and #28 on the Rhythm & Blues Chart. In Canada, it reached #6 on the Top 40.

The Fifth Dimension and Tony McCauley scored a "Great Song of the '70s," and the Carpenters...well...oops!

"Last Night (I Didn't Get to Sleep at All)"